Ritz Theater

997 Mississippi Boulevard,

Memphis,
TN38126

Got tired of that inaccurate Google view so I posted a photo of the actual site. You can see a section of the remaining building’s wall in the American Classic Images photo of the Ritz. The entry faced Mississippi and the theatre was in the larger building to the left. All is demolished.

Dave Lebovitz owned and operated several “Colored” movie theaters: Ace, Harlem, and Georgia. He and his brother also owned and operated three Drive-in movies: Sky-Vue, Lamar, and Sunset (West Memphis).

My dad and his brother owned and operated this theater from the time it opened until it closed, probably in the wake of the MLK assassination. It plus the Ace and the Georgia were all part of the orginal group which they owned and all were in black neighborhoods that could be pretty rough on weekends.